E3 isn’t the best place to find innovative new games, largely because it’s a massive marketing event driven by “sure-thing” multimillion dollar blockbusters and movie/TV franchises. But every year, there are a few underdogs that somehow make it onto the show floor, along with a couple inspiring big-name titles.

Last year, Namco gave an obscure Japanese title called Katamari Damacy a tiny space in the back of their booth. I fell in love, and dubbed it the Best of Show in my 2004 Oddball Roundup. Katamari ended up being the biggest cult hit of the year.

With that in mind, a little late, here’s a roundup of my favorite underdogs from this year’s E3. (G4TV has their own video underdog roundup. For a more mainstream roundup, try 1UP’s detailed list of the best games at E3.)